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Author of the touching “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry,” Zevin pivots from a love story about reading to one about gaming. Not a gamer? Don’t worry! This novel is so inclusive that it will not hinder your appreciation. Collaboration and synergy propel creators Sam and Sadie through years of discovery, growth, success and heartbreak. They are supported by their best friend, Marx, who quietly wrangles myriad business details and coaxes them back to reality when needed. I liked all the characters, but I loved Marx. Cultural references and gaming jargon anchor this book, but Zevin’s clear writing doesn’t allow us non-gamers to get lost. There are a few loose ends, but not so many that I would hesitate to recommend this book. — Written by Colorado native Helen Phillips, this novel depicts a world where robots and artificial intelligence have become normalized and permeate society in countless ways. Like Margaret Atwood, Phillips draws on science and facts, and she uses that information as her baseline to pull the reader speculatively into, in her own words, “a dark, near future.” The eponymous “hum” refers to the robots and could be derived from the shortened form of “human,” or perhaps from the ubiquitous sound of all electronic devices. But the hum is insidious, manipulative and glibly persuasive. In this novel, Phillips gently asks, “What would do in the face of such tyrannical technology to support and protect your children and their future?” — Some children are able to overcome an abusive, violent childhood, while others are doomed to create chaos as they desperately seek a way out of their difficult circumstances. The young daughter of a mentally ill, drug-addled mother and a charismatic but sadistic drug-dealer father, Wavy struggles with an apparent eating disorder as well as a number of other mental health issues. On top of that, she is the only one around to care for and protect her baby brother. At 8 years old, she helps a young man who works as a strong-arm for her father survive a motorcycle accident, and in turn he is grateful and kind to her, becoming perhaps the only male adult in her life who shows any interest or affection toward her. Wavy becomes quite attached to Kellen, and an obsessive love affair grows between the two as the years go by, becoming sexual at an inappropriate age. Many readers will find this story compelling and thought-provoking; others will be offended by the idea that a child can “groom” a normal person to become a pedophile. Has a crime been committed upon this “innocent” child? Or can a pure, lifelong romantic love happen between a child and a grown man? You decide. — Gamache is back! And he is back in Three Pines, so fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Gamache is back on his game, battling evil forces that would destroy not only Montreal but also much of Quebec and beyond. Will he decipher the breadcrumb trail of clues? Can he shut down the terrorists in time? When should he warn the public, and will that warning scare the terrorists into hiding, biding their time for another crack at destruction? A nail-biter and page-turner, for sure. —
Defending national champion South Carolina is No. 1 in the Top 25 preseason women's basketball poll, released Tuesday by The Associated Press. Coach Dawn Staley's Gamecocks return four starters from last season's undefeated team and received 27 of the 30 first-place votes. South Carolina now has captured the top spot in the preseason poll in four of the past five seasons. "We knew we'd have a target on our backs this season as the reigning champions and this preseason ranking just confirms that," Staley said, per the school's athletic department website. "We appreciate the recognition, but I know our coaching staff and our team are more focused on what we see in the gym every day. And that's every player working extremely hard to get better individually and as a team." South Carolina tips off the regular season against Michigan on Nov. 4 in Las Vegas. No. 2 UConn collected two first-place ballots and is ranked in the preseason top 10 for the 30th consecutive year. No. 3 Southern California received the other top vote, with Texas and UCLA also in the top five. Notre Dame, LSU, Iowa State, North Carolina State and Oklahoma round out the top 10. Iowa, which fell to the Gamecocks in the national title game last season, is not ranked following the departure of superstar Caitlin Clark to the WNBA. The Hawkeyes are first among the group of "others receiving votes." Stanford, meanwhile, is unranked in the preseason for the first time since 1999 following the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer. The Southeastern Conference leads with seven teams in the Top 25. The Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference each have six and the Big 12 has four. The rest of the women's AP Top 25 preseason poll: 11. Duke 12. Baylor 13. Kansas State 14. Ohio State 15. North Carolina 16. West Virginia 17. Louisville 18. Maryland 19. Florida State 20. Ole Miss 21. Creighton 22. Kentucky 23. Nebraska 24. Alabama 25. Indiana --Field Level MediaATLANTA — Hulu is tackling the Murdaughs, a prominent South Carolina family embroiled in cases of fraud and murder, in a new scripted series that is set to begin production in Atlanta in March. The series will be at shooting out of Doraville’s Assembly Studios, according to an email sent to members of IATSE 479, the union representing most crew members in the area. The tentative production dates are March 3 through June 13, 2025. Assembly is currently home to the upcoming NBC series “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” and a CBS soap opera, “Beyond the Gates.” Jason Clarke, known for his roles in “Oppenheimer” and HBO’s ‘Winning Time,” will play Alex Murdaugh, who is serving a life sentence for the killings of his wife and son in 2021. He also stole millions from his law firm and clients in wrongful death and serious injury cases. While admitting to the thefts, he has vehemently denied the killings and is appealing his murder convictions. Oscar-winning actor Patricia Arquette will play Murdaugh’s wife, Maggie. Arquette starred in the TV series “Medium” from 2005 to 2011 and the current Apple TV+ series “Severance” as well as dozens of films such as “Boyhood” and “True Romance.” The Murdaughs were an influential family in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina, wielding legal and political power. But over a span of a decade, the family was accused of a variety of crimes. The family has already been the focus of a popular 2023 Netflix documentary “The Murdaugh Murders” and a Lifetime movie “The Murdaugh Murders: A Movie” starring Bill Paxton. This Hulu limited series is based on reporting by Mandy Matney, a journalist and creator of the popular “Murdaugh Murders Podcast.” ——— ©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.By FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from federal and House Ethics investigations that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Packers with a sore throwing shoulder.Pathstone Holdings LLC Raises Position in BNY Mellon Municipal Bond Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (NYSE:DMB)AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1
NoneRemember the San Francisco 49ers’ shootout in New Orleans in 2019 — the game in which Jimmy Garoppolo and Drew Brees combined for nearly 700 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns, the one in which receiver Emmanuel Sanders caught and threw for a touchdown, the one in which George Kittle had his late-game catch-and-run heroics? Advertisement The 49ers had the same halftime yardage total — 319 — Sunday against the Chicago Bears as they did at halftime in New Orleans five years ago. The only difference is that they lost a yard on an end-of-half kneeldown on Sunday. The 319 yards were the highest halftime total for any team this season while the Bears’ 4 yards were the lowest halftime total for any team. Chicago played better in the second half, but the final yardage total — 452 to 162 — remained lopsided. Due largely to a 9-minute Bears drive to begin the third quarter, the time of possession wasn’t skewed as badly — 31:48 to 28:12 — in favor of San Francisco. The 49ers ran 61 plays versus 52 for the Bears. By game’s end, most of the 49ers’ starters were watching from the sideline, which should be a benefit considering the short turnaround before Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams . GO DEEPER Before dismantling Bears, the 49ers found their missing element: Desperation Here’s how the individual snaps were divided: Quarterback: Brock Purdy 57, Brandon Allen 4 Purdy survived an ugly hit in the fourth quarter on which Bears defensive end Darrell Taylor pulled him down by his neck. Kyle Shanahan on Monday said Purdy seemed to have “no lingering issues” from the play, which drew a roughing the passer penalty and likely will get further scrutiny from the NFL . One of the themes this season has been how long Purdy has been holding onto the ball before his throws — more than 3 seconds, one of the longest durations of any starting quarterback. On Sunday, his time-to-throw stat was 2.87 seconds, per Next Gen Stats, which was in the middle of the pack. This could have been bad: Darrell Taylor hits Brock Purdy high, then holds on to his neck as the two go to the ground... [image or embed] — Matt Barrows ( @mattbarrows.bsky.social ) December 9, 2024 at 8:26 AM Running back: Isaac Guerendo 34, Kyle Juszczyk (fullback) 31, Patrick Taylor Jr. 20, Deebo Samuel Sr. 5, Kittle 5, Ke’Shawn Vaughn 3 Guerendo suffered a foot sprain in the fourth quarter and his availability for Thursday is murky. Shanahan said Guerendo wouldn’t have been able to practice if the 49ers had held a session on Monday and seemed to doubt that he’d take part in Tuesday’s session. Advertisement “I’ll be surprised if he does much (Tuesday), but hopefully Thursday will be enough time for him,” Shanahan said. If Guerendo can’t play against the Rams, Taylor, who had seven carries for 25 yards Sunday, would get his first career start with Vaughn and newcomer Israel Abanikanda backing him up, likely in that order. Guerendo, meanwhile, looked an awful lot like former 49ers tailback Raheem Mostert on a second-quarter run in which he beat a Bears defender to the sideline and gained 30 yards. Per Next Gen Stats, he reached 20.17 mph on the carry, the third-best speed for a ball carrier in Week 14. He hit 19.88 mph on a catch and run in the first quarter, the seventh-fastest speed so far this week. The 49ers gave Isaac Guerendo extra credit for this first-quarter catch because it was made on the NE corner of the field while looking into the low winter sun... pic.twitter.com/iy8CPue06r — Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) December 9, 2024 Wide receiver: Jauan Jennings 45, Samuel 43, Ricky Pearsall 30, Chris Conley 15. Jacob Cowing 3 Jennings, who had two touchdown catches Sunday, has caught six of the eight touchdowns by 49ers’ receivers this season with Samuel and Pearsall catching one each. The 49ers tried to get Samuel going as a runner and receiver on Sunday. Some plays seemed promising but he was unable to slip from — or stomp through — the defense as he’s done in previous years. He averaged 2.6 yards a carry Sunday and has a 2.9-yard average for the season. Samuel’s rushing averages: Tight end: Kittle 47, Eric Saubert 17, Brayden Willis 4, Jake Tonges 3 Of Kittle’s 151 receiving yards, 103 came after the catch. That’s his highest total since he had 109 YAC yards in a Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in 2021. Kittle had 32 yards on a rarely-used tight end screen in the first quarter. He said that the 49ers leaned on their screen game more than usual on Sunday because the Bears defensive ends were so aggressive in getting up the field. Advertisement How often do the 49ers run that play to the tight end? “In the last five years — twice,” Kittle said. “It was probably like in ‘20, ‘21.” GO DEEPER Before dismantling Bears, the 49ers found their missing element: Desperation Offensive line: Dominick Puni 61, Jaylon Moore 61, Jake Brendel 58, Colton McKivitz 58, Spencer Burford 51, Ben Bartch 10, Sebastian Gutierrez 3, Nick Zakelj 3 Burford got praise from teammates for stepping in at right guard — not his usual position — after Bartch suffered a high ankle sprain in the first quarter. Burford practices at both tackle and guard during the week, with most of the latter coming at left guard. He allowed one quarterback pressure on Sunday. Shanahan said Aaron Banks is now out of concussion protocol and should be able to step back into his left guard spot on Thursday. Bartch likely is headed to injured reserve. Gutierrez, who was added to the 53-man roster Saturday, played three snaps at right tackle; Zakelj got his first offensive snaps since Week 1 when he was in for the game’s final, kneeldown snap. Defensive line: Sam Okuayinonu 39, Maliek Collins 30, Leonard Floyd 28, Yetur Gross-Matos 27, Jordan Elliott 26, Robert Beal Jr. 20, Evan Anderson 14, Kalia Davis 14, Khalil Davis 14 It’s remarkable that Gross-Matos had three sacks and Floyd two despite scant opportunities. Both were in on only 19 pass-rush snaps. That’s the third-fewest of the season for Floyd, who’s played every game so far. The seven-sack game reorganized the 49ers’ sack-leader list. Floyd is first with 8 1/2, followed by Nick Bosa (7) and Collins (5). Collins essentially took over Arik Armstead ’s spot this year. Armstead last year had five sacks in 12 games. This year he has one sack for the Jacksonville Jaguars . Bosa continues to be day-to-day with a hip/oblique injury. He said Sunday that he couldn’t have played against the Bears and is taking a wait-and-see approach to the Rams game. GO DEEPER 49ers mock draft reaction: Derrick Harmon's a great fit, but is there a tackle to pursue? Linebacker: Fred Warner 46, De’Vondre Campbell Sr. 34, Dee Winters 27, Jalen Graham 7 Winters emerged with an ankle injury and is day-to-day this week. He started Sunday’s game as the third linebacker but took over for Campbell at weakside linebacker in the second half. Winters played well overall but dropped an interception — and pick-six — opportunity in the first quarter. Advertisement Shanahan said Dre Greenlaw has “a chance” to make his 2024 debut against the Rams but said it will hinge on how Greenlaw looks in practice this week. Cornerback: Deommodore Lenoir 46, Renardo Green 45, Charvarius Ward 44, Isaac Yiadom 9, Nick McCloud 7 Shanahan said Sunday’s sack fest was tied to strong coverage by the 49ers’ secondary. The standout of the group was Green, who was targeted five times and allowed three catches for 21 yards. Safety: Malik Mustapha 45, Talanoa Hufanga 39, Ji’Ayir Brown 15, Tashaun Gipson Sr. 7 The 49ers seemed to get a lift from Hufanga’s return to the starting lineup and Shanahan noted that the safety was in on the first tackle of the game. Asked why Hufanga replaced Brown and not the rookie, Mustapha, in the starting lineup, Shanahan said Mustapha simply has been better. “I think he’s been playing at a higher level,” Shanahan said. “He’s been one of the better players on our defense, I think, over the last month or so. Nothing against (Brown). We still wish he could be out there. But when we had to make a decision we kept Mustapha out there.” Special teams: Tonges 24, Yiadom 19, Conley 18, Willis 18, Graham 18, McCloud 18, Beal 17, Saubert 17, Taylor 17, Jake Moody 13, Winters 12, Pat O’Donnell 9, Taybor Pepper 8, Hufanga 7, Brown 7, McKivitz 6, Puni 6, Moore 6, Zakelj 6, Spencer Burford 6, Gutierrez 5, Samuel 3, Bartch 1, Gipson 1, Anderson 1, Elliott 1, Gross-Matos 1, Campbell 1, Collins 1, Mustapha 1, Warner 1, Lenoir 1 The special teams didn’t have any crippling plays on Sunday, but it wasn’t a perfect effort, either. Moody had two kickoffs that failed to land in the landing zone between the goal line and the 20-yard line. This year that’s a penalty in which the ball is placed at the receiving team’s 40-yard line. (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)Jimmy Carter, former US president, dies at 100